Friday, May 4, 2012

The Duck Boat

You know it is tourist season when the duck boats are back. They sort of disappear in the Fall, and return again in the Spring. I suppose they are a somewhat common sight across the country. We actually went on one when we visited the Dells in Wisconsin many, many years ago. When we went to Boston for a family visit, we saw them meandering in traffic competing with the street cars, and thought about taking a spin on one, but decided against it. We have never been on this vehicle in DC- but see them making their way along the freeway on the way to Gravelly Point to get in to the Potomac. Every one says that one way to really get to know your city is to do what the tourists do. Whenever we visited the charming southern cities of New Orleans, Savannah, Charleston, and Natchez- we always took the horse and buggy ride around the main drag to get the lay of the land (much to the chagrin of my husband). In Chicago, we took a horse and buggy ride with our 2 year old grandson in the middle of winter. I suppose every city has a featured way of getting to know it better- and that depends a lot on the weather and the visitor. It does remind me that although some of these modes of transportation are charming in their own way, nothing beats the independence of riding in your own car, at your own speed, and stopping whenver you want - as long as you know where you are going.
You know the tourist season it here when you see a duck boat

And they are always full - this one is passing by the
American Indian Museum

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